The subject invention relates generally to an improved method of constructing a paint application facility including the paint booth and paint reclamation tank in a production paint facility and an improved unitary truss assembly for this application.
A paint booth for use in a production facility intended to paint vehicles or other products requires extensive time and manpower to complete. Different work crews specialize in, and construct different portions of the facility. For example, one work crew specializes in constructing the paint booth and related facility, while another work crew specializes in constructing the building that houses the paint booth.
Presently, construction of the production facility begins by pouring a concrete base floor and affixing vertically oriented support columns thereto. This part of the construction is performed by the building work crew. After the support columns have been installed, the paint booth work crew installs reclamation paint tanks or a gas scrubber system that will provide structural support to the building and to the booth. The tanks must be leveled to provide evenly distributed structural support to the building, which is a difficult and labor intensive process. Once the tanks are installed, the paint booth work crew is idled while the remainder of the building is constructed, which includes constructing an operating floor around the tanks.
After the building has been completed, the paint booth work crew returns to complete construction of the paint booth. This includes building the paint application chamber over the tanks, installing an air plenum, and installing the painting equipment and other related components.
The method described above for constructing the building and the paint booth housed by the building has several significant drawbacks. First, the base floor needs to be fully installed prior to any other construction. Second, the complete reclamation tanks must be fully fabricated and ready for installation upon completion of the base floor. Third, the tanks must be fully installed prior to constructing the surrounding structures, such as other support beams and flooring. Finally, the paint booth work crew is idled by months while the building is being constructed around the tanks and the flooring cures.
Therefore, it would be desirable to devise a method for constructing a paint booth facility and a building for housing the booth that would allow for the continuous utilization of each of the work crews. It would further be desirable to construct a frame for supporting the paint booth that does not require a completed reclamation tank or scrubber system to be utilized as a significant support structure for the booth and the building.
The subject invention is a frame assembly for supporting a paint booth that includes paint application chamber and a reclamation tank, heated flash off equipment, miscellaneous booths and decks, etc. A plurality of frame posts are spaced apart and affixed to a base. Opposing support members, each having a shell, are arranged end to end in a parallel column. Each of the shells is affixed to an upper end of at least two of the frame posts. The support member includes a horizontal structural element affixed longitudinally inside the shell, and at least one vertical support element affixed to the horizontal structural element inside the shell. Each of the shells forms a section or wall of the reclamation tank and provides support to a section of the paint application chamber.
The frame is installed by the building work crew without the involvement of the booth work crew. The building and structural components surrounding the booth are constructed prior to installing the reclamation tanks and are affixed to the support members. Because the support members provide structural support to the booth, the paint application chamber and related components can be installed independently of the tanks. Further, the booth work crew can continuously construct the entirety of the booth without having to wait for the structures surrounding the booth to be fully installed. This allows for the booth work crew to work up to a month longer on the booth without adding any additional time to the building construction project. Still further, the support member is leveled while the frame is being constructed. Therefore, the tanks, by virtue of being attached to the support member, are also easily leveled.
In the preferred embodiment, the frame assembly of this invention is formed as a unitary truss assembly which is preferably preassembled for assembly by the building work crew and forms a component of the paint booth as now described. The unitary truss assembly includes an elongated C-shaped or frame member having a central portion and opposed leg portions extending generally perpendicular to the central portion. An elongated rectangular beam or tubular structural element is nested within the C-shaped frame member having one side face abutting one of the leg portions and an adjacent side face abutting the central portion of the frame member. A plurality of spaced support members or beams are assembled in the C-shaped shell in spaced relation each having one end face abutting a side-face of the elongated beam and an opposed face abutting the opposed leg portion of the C-shaped frame member. In the preferred embodiment, the abutting faces of the rectangular beam, the C-shaped shell or frame member and the support beams are welded together to form a unitary truss assembly which may be manufactured at a convenient remote site and shipped to the construction site. The unitary truss assembly is then supported on the poured base of the paint application facility by spaced vertical beams which are coaxially aligned with the support beams and welded to the leg portion of the C-shaped frame member. The floor joists may then be welded to the rectangular beam forming a secure structure ready to receive the paint booth. During the construction of the paint booth by the paint booth crew, the reclamation paint tank is secured to the C-shaped frame member and, in the preferred embodiment, the C-shaped frame member forms a side wall of the reclamation tank or tanks as described above.
The inventive support member and method of constructing the frame resolves the construction problems associated with the prior art method of constructing a production paint booth. The support member allows for a more efficient use of the work crews thereby shortening the amount of time required to construct the production facility. These improvements also reduce the costs associated with constructing the facility.